Moorburg coal-fired power plant

Photo by Krafft Angerer/Getty Images

A general view of the Moorburg coal-fired power plant, which is still under construction, on June 27, 2011 in Hamburg, Germany. Moorburg, which is a project of Sweden-based energy conglomerate Vattenfall, will produce 1730 MW of electricity. The project has met resistance from local environmental groups, who claim the heat produced by the plant will have a negative impact on the immediate environment and that the plant will produce 8.5 million tons of CO2 greenhouse gases annually. The German government is currently seeking to phase out its remaining 17 nuclear power reactors by the year 2022, and though the country is investing heavily in renewable energy sources in order to make up the difference, coal will remain a vital resource for the country to meet its energy needs.

A general view of the Moorburg coal-fired power plant, which is still under construction, on June 27, 2011 in Hamburg, Germany. Moorburg, which is a project of Sweden-based energy conglomerate Vattenfall, will produce 1730 MW of electricity. The project has met resistance from local environmental groups, who claim the heat produced by the plant will have a negative impact on the immediate environment and that the plant will produce 8.5 million tons of CO2 greenhouse gases annually. The German government is currently seeking to phase out its remaining 17 nuclear power reactors by the year 2022, and though the country is investing heavily in renewable energy sources in order to make up the difference, coal will remain a vital resource for the country to meet its energy needs. (Photo by Krafft Angerer/Getty Images)

A general view of the Moorburg coal-fired power plant, which is still under construction, on June 27, 2011 in Hamburg, Germany. Moorburg, which is a project of Sweden-based energy conglomerate Vattenfall, will produce 1730 MW of electricity. The project has met resistance from local environmental groups, who claim the heat produced by the plant will have a negative impact on the immediate environment and that the plant will produce 8.5 million tons of CO2 greenhouse gases annually. The German government is currently seeking to phase out its remaining 17 nuclear power reactors by the year 2022, and though the country is investing heavily in renewable energy sources in order to make up the difference, coal will remain a vital resource for the country to meet its energy needs.